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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26931931">Simple Times</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JemsOfTheForgotten/pseuds/JemsOfTheForgotten'>JemsOfTheForgotten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Time Travel, Again, Angst, Chuunin Exams, Confusion, Curse Mark, Damn It Sasuke, F/M, Fix It, Flashbacks, Fluff, Genin Era, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Hatake Kakashi is so Done, Light Angst, One Shot, POV Haruno Sakura, Sakura Doesn't Know What's Going On, Sakura Is Dying oops, Saving Sasuke Uchiha, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Time Travel, multiple flashbacks, stop that</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:49:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,817</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26931931</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JemsOfTheForgotten/pseuds/JemsOfTheForgotten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While on the battlefield Sakura is forced to relive different moments from her time as a Genin.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura &amp; Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura &amp; Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Simple Times</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sakura had known from a young age that she would die bloody.</p>
<p>She should have. At least.</p>
<p>She remembered what it had been like. To be a child. So innocent and without worry. So hung up on thoughts and emotions that she would give anything now to even consider as an issue. Absolutely anything. Even her life, if it meant some other little girl could spend her days fretting over such trivial matters.</p>
<p>Like a crush. Or love.</p>
<p>What had it been like to fall? Into that endless pool: sinking, sinking, sinking. Until her feet touched the bottom of a well. She knew it was only a matter of time before she drowned.</p>
<p>Someone was screaming at her, but she wasn't sure who. All she could see was him. His eyes rolling red and raving mad; a crude mix between anger and insanity. Why did she think she could stop this? Who did she truly think she could save? It was obvious the love was gone. If it had ever been there to begin with.</p>
<p>She could feel the pull of chakra on her. Perhaps someone was trying to save her. Ino probably. She couldn't tell, her head was reeling. Spinning with the exertion of staying awake.</p>
<p>Why, though?</p>
<p>Was she still that in love with him? To watch him walk towards his own self-made destruction?</p>
<p>Yes. She was.</p>
<p>She felt a tidal wave of chill wash over her. The pull of the chakra was getting stronger. She felt herself being swept under, being drawn through the thick waves, slow as honey.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sakura's vision spun, and it took every bit of willpower not to pitch forward and fall on her face right there.</p>
<p>But where was there exactly?</p>
<p>She glanced around as stealthily as years of ninja training would allow her. But nothing, <em> absolutely nothing </em>, could have prepared her for what she found.</p>
<p>She was in a clearing, thick trees rose high around her. Gnarled bark and branches twisted high overhead. Blocking out a good part of the sun's natural light. She could sense the chakra of other Shinobi, many others. Some less than friendly. They were far in the distance though, nothing she had to worry about right now. Which was something she was thankful for, because there were <em> plenty </em>of other things to worry about.</p>
<p>She was in the forest of death.</p>
<p>Sakura stayed as still as she could. Trying to feel out the situation she was in. It was the part in the exams when Sasuke had been given the curse mark. He was unconscious now, fighting against the evil that was Orochimaru. She knew he'd win this fight, not others, but this one he would. Naruto was fighting off something the Sannin had done to him as well. She hadn't known it at the time, but now she understood it had something to do with the demon fox.</p>
<p>Sakura considered the idea that this was a Genjutsu, but she quickly squashed it. She had been under the repulsive influence of such techniques to know how they felt. Besides, she highly suspected someone wouldn't put a dying medic ninja under an illusion. Especially not one like this. Not to mention very few people knew what exactly happened in the forest. What happened <em> here </em>, in this part of the forest. Only one of them had the prowess strong enough to send her into the dream-like state required of a Genjutsu, and his attention had been focused elsewhere when she had slid into this place. Whatever it was.</p>
<p>A squirrel came running towards where she had sheltered Naruto and Sasuke. Her body moved of its own accord, lashing a kunai out towards the small animal, stopping it from setting off the trap she had laid.</p>
<p>Sakura internally chuckled despite herself. She was surprised that she even remembered exactly where the trap was, or even that it was there to begin with; considering everything that had happened over the years. Everything that would happen next.</p>
<p>She froze as she remembered the sound ninja. Her chakra was significantly smaller than it was in the future, and her body was agonizingly slow for a ninja. But her chakra control had been outstanding since she began at the academy. It may take a number on her younger body, but she'd be able to pull off her signature strength. She may be able to defeat the three sound ninja in even her current state. Her friends wouldn't get hurt that way. Maybe Sasuke would never have to use the curse mark. That terrible power. Maybe he'd never get a taste of it before Kakashi had it sealed.</p>
<p>She knew it was a childish fantasy, but Sakura hoped despite herself. She hoped that whatever this was. <em> Wherever </em>she had ended up. Maybe she could change what Sasuke had turned into. What it had forced all of her friends to become. Maybe she could keep them from the perils of being a ninja, just a little longer.</p>
<p>With a newfound determination, she prepared to stand. Hoping her younger body could withstand what she was about to do. It wasn't until she finally made her move, or at least tried to, that dread sank heavily into her chest.</p>
<p><em> Wait </em>.</p>
<p>"So a no sleep lookout?"</p>
<p><em> Hold on </em>.</p>
<p>Dread found its home in her heart, sinking its twisted claws into her skin. She screamed. No sound came out.</p>
<p>She didn't have control over her body.</p>
<p>Sakura watched the next series of events unfold. She watched with anger and trepidation as Lee came to help her, and was rendered immobile because of it. She was screaming as it happened. She didn't understand. Why was she reliving this? What kind of cruel joke was it, to show her this part of her life? A hideous trick of fate, was the only way she could see it.</p>
<p>She felt a small amount of pride when her younger self cut her hair. The only good thing to come out of the whole endeavor. She still felt pride for what she had done in that moment. Sure, her efforts had been all for naught, but it was still a turning point for her. Still a moment of pride out of a memory that had left her with nightmares for months. She had worse things that haunted her dreams now, but there were parts of this moment that still ate at her.</p>
<p>Her pride was once again squashed as she felt herself get flung away. She watched. Watched with her own eyes as she was beaten apart by people (if they could even be called that) who she'd have no problem against now. She hated feeling as absolutely useless as she felt right now. Clawing at the surface of her mind. Trying desperately to <em> move </em> . <em> To act. </em></p>
<p>She wasn't sure when her screams turned into sobs.</p>
<p>When Ino, Shikamaru and Choji jumped in to help her she knew exactly what was coming. The sense of foreboding washed over her. She could feel the sickly chakra of the curse mark roll off of Sasuke. She hated that this was the moment she'd been sent back to. When the young Sasuke became so much like his older self.</p>
<p>Sakura felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her, and soon she was being pulled back into the honey-like waves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sakura gasped with a sudden jolt as the waves disappeared once again. She was sitting in a meadow now. Looking over an extensive field of freshly trimmed grass. The gently sloping hills rose green and vibrant in the early spring. A cool breeze nipped at her skin, bringing a hint of winter in its wake. It was significantly calmer here than had been in the last memory.</p>
<p>Naruto seemed to have succeeded in getting Kakashi to train him; something beyond the basics. Which she remembered had been a feat back when they were Genin. Especially on days like today. She took the moment of quiet to sit back and enjoy the show of Naruto grumbling about chakra control. It seemed like all they did these days was train. And worry.</p>
<p>She wasn't entirely sure what memory this was. There had been so many days just like this. Perks of having a lazy Sensei, she supposed. Sakura smiled to herself, it had been awhile since she could sit in grass and enjoy the sun like this. She tried to move her body to lie in grass, but was disappointingly reminded that she couldn't control her body. So instead she tried to settle back into the moment and enjoy it. She didn't know when she'd get a day like this again. Or if she ever would.</p>
<p>Her younger body seemed at ease. Save the slight fidget of her fingers in the cool grass and the steady pounding of her heart. It didn't take much for Sakura to figure out who she was sitting beside.</p>
<p>Sasuke’s gaze was trained towards the clouds. He watched them float by with a serene look on his face. It was rare to see the dark-haired boy so relaxed, and Sakura suspected it wasn't just his proximity that had her younger self in such a state of nervousness. She was surprised her younger self had maintained her cool for so long. Perhaps this was one of the rare moments when they had first become genin where she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of him.</p>
<p>Sakura hadn't even finished her train of thought when her younger self let out an inhuman squeal so dramatic she wished she could crawl into a hole and never return.</p>
<p>Sasuke sat up so quickly it was almost as if he hadn't been laying down at all. His hand flew to his weapon pouch, ready to fight off whatever had made the outrageous sound. She reacted without thinking, putting her hand on his arm and stopping him before he could draw a kunai. Her younger self flushed, and Sakura could feel her own embarrassment tugging at her. She wanted so badly to run away.</p>
<p>Luckily, Naruto and Kakashi hadn't noticed. It was just Sasuke giving her a questioning look. She was glad he wasn't glaring at her. But who could tell how long that would last. She desperately tried to will her younger self to come up with something plausible to say. Something to diffuse the situation and keep her from embarrassing herself any more than she already had.</p>
<p>"I don't think there is anything trying to attack us Sasuke-kun. See, there's no other chakra." She held her finger up, as if sensing chakra was the same as feeling the weather. "It was probably just a cat or something."</p>
<p>Sasuke smirked at her, and Sakura could tell he had figured out <em> exactly </em> where the sound had come from. But judging from the tidal wave of relief that flooded through her body, her younger self hadn't figured it out yet. Sakura shuddered to guess at what was going through his head.</p>
<p>"Strange sound for a cat."</p>
<p>His eyes glinted with amusement for a second. It was gone so quickly that even Sakura, with her trained eyes, wasn't sure if she had seen correctly. He laid down in the grass again, and she felt the increasingly familiar tug of chakra pull her back into the honeyed waves as she moved to join him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was running now. The soft breeze pecked at her cheeks as she jogged beside Naruto and his angry ramblings. He was shouting about ramen. She listened to his rant, bemused. When wasn't he raving about his favourite food? It had seemed to be one of his major forms of thought when they were kids.</p>
<p>Luckily his ramblings gave Sakura a good assessment of what was happening in this memory.</p>
<p>They were on a mission. C-ranked by the sounds of it and had bypassed a 'perfectly good village' with 'perfectly good ramen stands' in favour of finding a place to camp in the woods. She could feel her younger self's own annoyance at the scenario. The forest was not a good place for her hair, and her clothes <em> always </em>got rumpled in the most unflattering way. Something Sakura had apparently seen fit to mention to her Sensei.</p>
<p>She could feel the annoyed roll coming from his chakra and suddenly questioned how Kakashi had ever managed to stay sane when they were Genin. Between Naruto's obnoxious ravings, her own self absorption, and Sasuke's <em> Uchihaness </em>. It was enough to drive anyone mad. Staying true to his impromptu label, Sasuke was dutifully ignoring his teammates. Instead, he stared off towards the thick brush of the forest, seemingly lost in thought.</p>
<p>It wasn't long before Kakashi found a spot he deemed good for the night, and the younger ninja quickly began preparing their camp for the evening. Gathering firewood and laying out their sleeping bags.</p>
<p>Sakura watched, half amused, half embarrassed, as her younger self dutifully set up her own sleeping bag next to Sasuke's.</p>
<p>She knew around this time her feelings were still just a crush. It hadn't delved into the haunting love she felt for him. But she knew it would soon. Soon it would be more than just her heart skipping a beat, or nerves making her act in stupid over the top ways. She looked sadly at the nostalgic scene before her. Soon the love would hurt too.</p>
<p>She watched the rest of the night in a tired state between happiness and reservation. It felt nice to relive these moments. Back when everything was so simple. So pure. Then the acidic thoughts of what they would all become plagued her, and she had to disconnect herself from the memory. Until they settled enough for her to calm her breathing and stop the tears from falling.</p>
<p>It was later in the night. Sasuke had volunteered to take first watch and was now staring into the remaining flickering embers of the fire. Kakashi had fallen asleep nose deep in his book. How he read in the dark Sakura did not understand. Naruto was snoring obnoxiously in his own sleeping bag, his arms and legs protruding at precarious angles from within. Sakura herself was carefully braiding her hair. Tying it back so it wouldn't get messy or dirty in the night.</p>
<p>"No one will pay attention to your clothes."</p>
<p>Sakura looked up from her work on an unsuspecting tangle, to look at him in surprise. Both versions of herself were caught off guard by his sudden revelation.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry?" She said shakily.</p>
<p>Sasuke gave her a sidelong look from where he was perched near the fire. He seemed nervous, in a way. No longer all cool stoicism. She knew her younger self didn't notice, but he was fidgeting slightly under her questioning gaze.</p>
<p>"You said earlier that you don't like sleeping outside because your clothes get rumpled."</p>
<p>"Yes? So?"</p>
<p>"You're a ninja."</p>
<p>He stared at her. As if that simple statement would answer all of her questions. She had worked the tangle free, but her hands stayed motionless. Hair curled around her fingers, ready for her to continue her work. Instead, she sat in puzzlement. Trying to figure out what exactly he meant.</p>
<p>Sakura studied Sasuke from where she sat on her sleeping bag. He seemed stiff, she realized, as if everything he was saying had him astronomically outside of his limited comfort zone. She wondered why he seemed so uncomfortable. Surely stating that she was a ninja (which was painfully obvious) wasn't what would have him so on edge. She stared into his eyes, trying to glean some hint as to what was going through that pubescent head of his.</p>
<p>"You shouldn't focus on it so much." He said shortly.</p>
<p>It was as he turned away, letting her know that the conversation was over, that Sakura noticed appraisal flash through his steely black eyes. She was left dumbfounded, sitting in the middle of her younger self's disappointment, wondering how she was supposed to read the backhanded compliment. If it could even be considered that.</p>
<p>It was as the waves came to overtake her once again, and the honey pull began to draw at her senses, that she noticed the stark redness that had dwarfed Sasuke's usually pale ears. Sakura wondered if she was going insane.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The waves settled and Sakura found herself sitting at a table in a simple tea shop. She had just given her order and was asking Sasuke for his. Naruto had flown into another one of his arguments, but her mind was elsewhere.</p>
<p>Why was she reliving these moments?</p>
<p>There didn't seem to be any real rhyme or reason to them. They were moments, snapshots of a bygone era. She knew they were memories, even if she only originally remembered chunks of them in blurs and flashes. She couldn't figure out why she was seeing them. Why these specific moments were coming back to her. Because that's all they were. Moments. Pieces of her childhood that had been obscured and buried below the rest of it. Most were happy memories. She had to admit, if she would relive anything while she was on the brink of death, at least some of the moments were good.</p>
<p>Realization shocked Sakura into another thought process. Followed closely by the fear and the same mocking dread that had plagued her during her first relived moment in the forest of death. These were swatches of her life. Old medical research swam through Sakuras' mind with the same jittery quickness of the panic she was beginning to feel. She had heard of it before, people with near-death experiences reliving their life. She had always imagined it to be their entire life, flashing before them scenes of a movie being constantly fast forwarded. Not blocked out moments with seemingly irregular focus.</p>
<p>It wasn't the nature of the memories that had Sakura on edge, though. Of course it wasn't. It was the confirmation. The authentication of a simple fact.</p>
<p>She was dying.</p>
<p>She had been aware of it before, but not to the point she was now. Before, it had been a simple nagging at the back of her mind. Something that wasn't really there. Something she could avoid if she tried hard enough. She thought she had prepared herself for this, prepared herself for death like any other Shinobi. But now it was right in front of her, floating before her vision with spluttering neon lights. She was dying and there was nothing she could do to save herself.</p>
<p>Desperation clawed its way out of her throat. She cried out into the quietness of her own mind and felt the echo reverberate out into the calmness of the tea shop. No sound left her body. She was trapped.</p>
<p>It was a few minutes before Sakura was able to form any coherency behind her thoughts. She knew it wouldn't help her to sit in the recesses of her mind, mourning a life she hadn't yet lost. She had been given the gift to relive these innocent moments. The least she could do is pay attention and maybe even figure out a way to escape. Sakura listened to Naruto's ranting, not taking in enough of the words, until her mind had quieted enough to focus again.</p>
<p>The first thing she noticed about the tea shop was that she recognized it. Which made sense, considering this was a memory, but she recognized it with a sense of familiarity that suggested she had been here more than once.</p>
<p>Luckily her younger self was looking around now, and she had a chance to study her surroundings a little more freely. There was one other person in the shop, sitting in the corner and whittling away at a wooden toothpick. Her younger self hardly spared a glance at the stranger and quickly turned her attention back to her teammates. A glance was all Sakura needed to figure out where she was, and judging from the anger that seemed to flow off the stranger in waves, what was about to happen.</p>
<p>She had been to the Land of Tea only a few times since the initial mission that led her here as a Genin. Mostly to gather medical ingredients and play politics as the Hokage’s apprentice. She knew this mission wasn't so easygoing as the ones she would experience here in the future. And Idate wouldn't be so welcoming either, considering Naruto hadn't yet slapped him full in the face with the ‘Power Of Friendship’ as per his usual specialty.</p>
<p>Sakura sighed to herself. She and Idate were on decidedly good terms in the future, but that didn't stop him from being a total jackass when they first met.</p>
<p>As if on cue, the young man stood and sauntered over to the table with the three ninja. Before propping his elbow on the table and giving Sakura the kind of cheeky grin that she learned would always mean trouble.</p>
<p>"I didn't know there was such a cutie here."</p>
<p>He continued on with his tirade of flirting, making her younger self flush with embarrassment at his offhand remarks. Sakura knew without a doubt that if she had been in control of her body, she would have smacked him.</p>
<p>Naruto was quick to come to her defense, rolling up his sleeves and threatening the cocky boy in front of him. Sakura had a feeling the anger was more for his own wounded pride than her own. She was amused by his outburst nonetheless. Naruto was always quick to defend her, both now and when he was young. Watching her friend’s outburst had Sakura feeling a sense of loss. As if she had already died and was mourning the friendship she was saying goodbye to.</p>
<p>She was once again snapped out of the morbid path her thoughts had taken, when she felt a familiar roll of angry chakra. It had lashed out toward Idate, quick and rash, before drawing back in again. She could feel the toll of it, brushing under a barely controlled surface. Sakura knew exactly who it had been.</p>
<p>She was saved from the trouble of trying to glean the reason through his chakra when her younger self turned to look at her other teammate. Sakura sighed to herself with a sense of uneven mirth. She knew without a doubt that her younger self was just looking to see if the Uchiha was jealous. She knew without her younger body's feeling of disappointment what she would find. He seemed unperturbed, his eyes were closed, and his arms crossed into his usual posture. He seemed so uninterested that to anyone outside their team, it would look as if he wasn't listening at all.</p>
<p>Sakura frowned despite her own confirmation. It was rare for him to pull his power back so abruptly. Usually he let it roll, strong and imposing to the point that even civilians could sense it. She had only felt his chakra react like this once before. When the new team seven had first attempted to bring Sasuke back to the village. She had run into the ruins of an explosion to find Sai looking upwards. She had said something to Sai, yelled at him really. Then there had been that roll of chakra, the first time she had felt it, before it drew away. And then she had been looking into the eyes of the boy she fell in love with.</p>
<p>She hadn't given that initial wave of chakra much thought. There were so many other things that had happened next. Such was the life of a ninja, she supposed. But what was the common benefactor in each scenario? Herself, obviously. Someone else, specifically a guy who wasn't nearly as powerful as the Uchiha. So what was the problem? He couldn't possibly see them as a threat.</p>
<p>Unless... surprise flitted through Sakura so quickly, she nearly got whiplash. The thought was ridiculous. Even if that's what was happening here, it didn't explain his reaction when they had been at Orochimaru's hideout. He had severed those bonds by then. He said so himself. Even as Sakura thought up reason after reason that her idea was incorrect and completely ridiculous, it didn't stop the certainty that was coursing through her veins.</p>
<p>Sasuke Uchiha was jealous.</p>
<p>Sakura's head reeled. Had he really been jealous of Sai? Sai had no interest in her. He went so far as to call her ugly.</p>
<p><em> But Sasuke doesn't know that </em>, a little voice chimed in her head.</p>
<p>She thought back to her previous memory and recalled appraisal filled eyes and uncharacteristically red ears. She suddenly wanted to scream, or cry, or do something other than even <em> consider </em> the possibility that Sasuke had ever liked her. She felt like her heart had been torn in half all over again. Worse of all, she felt hope. <em> Hope </em>. Hope at the idea that the person she loved could love her back. Hope at the idea that he could be saved.</p>
<p>Sakura quickly chastised herself. If he had really wanted to be saved, he'd had plenty of chances already. He'd met them all with violence and blood.</p>
<p>She quickly shook herself out of her reverie. She knew she couldn't let herself fall down that rabbit hole. As Sakura refocused on the memory she was in, Sasuke spoke, "Hn. We don't have time to waste on this hooligan."</p>
<p>Naruto turned to berate Sasuke, only to turn back around and find his newfound rival had disappeared. Sakura didn't have time to be amused though. Just as fast as Idate had left, the waves were rolling back in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was an ugly heat in the air. It dug at Sakura's skin with a hungry intensity and made her bones feel too weak in her own body. Her younger self grumbled as she tied her hair up out of her face. Before returning to lie against the merciful coolness of her bedroom floor.</p>
<p>Any form of relaxation or imagined comfort in the heat was promptly squashed when a particularly boisterous ninja came barreling through her window. Luckily it had been open in an attempt to let in some semblance of a breeze and he didn't break it (again).</p>
<p>"Sakura!" Naruto shouted, using the momentum from jumping through her window to bounce off her bed and land on the floor next to her, "I have a plan! But we need your help."</p>
<p>Sakura turned her face to glare at her teammate, who was in his usual orange jumpsuit. Which made Sakura, feeling the heat through her younger self’s own body, desperately want to smack him.</p>
<p>Naruto, who seemed to sense her animosity, decided to tell her what he was planning, "We're going to see Kakashi's face."</p>
<p>He looked at her expectantly, like her obvious anger would have dissipated at his announcement. Sakura was intrigued but opted to stay silent. She would let him explain his plan on his own. She didn't have to wait long.</p>
<p>"Well, it's sooo hot-"</p>
<p>"You don't say."</p>
<p>"-we'll take him to get ice cream. He can't possibly refuse in this heat, and he'll have to eat it before it melts. It's foolproof!"</p>
<p>She hummed softly. It wasn't a poor plan, Kakashi had pointedly refused all their other offers to eat with them. Giving ridiculous reason upon ridiculous reason. This was as good a chance as any to finally get a glimpse of their Sensei's face. But the gross heat in the air cut through her younger self's sudden excitement. Her scarcely maintained comfort would be severely compromised, and Sakura highly doubted she would survive that.</p>
<p>"Just leave me here to die." She groaned instead, trying to melt into a puddle on the floor.</p>
<p>Naruto turned and lay down next to her so he was looking her in the eye, "Common Sakura, I can't do it without you."</p>
<p>Sakura stuck her tongue out at him in response. He stuck his tongue out at her in return before switching tactics, a mischievous glint lighting his eyes.</p>
<p>"Sasuke is coming."</p>
<p>Both versions of Sakura glared at him. Contrary to popular belief, her decisions didn't revolve around the Uchiha. In fact, she hated how Naruto would take her answer. Sure, she wanted to be around Sasuke. But she didn't want him to see her like this. A literal hot mess. But she didn't want to be left out either. If it had been Naruto by himself she knew he wouldn't have gotten very far, but Sasuke always added a bit of possibility to their excursions. They were moments Sakura didn't want to miss out on.</p>
<p>Naruto laughed heartily when she threw a pillow at him. He knew he’d won.</p>
<p>Sasuke was waiting for them in their usual meeting place on the bridge. Sakura felt a twinge of sadness at the nostalgic scene. He, like Naruto, was wearing his usual ninja attire and while it wasn't as heavy as her louder teammate’s the sight still had Sakura's younger self fuming. How dare they walk around in their usual training outfits while not even moments earlier she had been a puddle on the floor.</p>
<p>"What took you so long?" Sasuke asked, glaring at his teammates.</p>
<p>As Naruto and Sasuke launched into another of their childhood arguments (something her younger self tried in vain to control) Sakura considered the situation. This was a memory where they would try to see Kakashi's face. That had happened enough when they were kids, so much so that all of their so-called self assigned missions had blurred together. Judging from the absence of her and Sasuke's complete lack of hope at Naruto's plan, which always involved food, this was one of their earlier attempts.</p>
<p>"Guys!" Sakura shouted when there was enough of a lull in their argument to catch their attention. Her teammates looked towards her, their attention was shaky and she quickly tried to divert it.</p>
<p>"Naruto, you told me some of your plan, but now that we're all here will you explain the rest of it?"</p>
<p>Naruto looked at her blankly for a moment before saying, "What do you mean the rest of it?"</p>
<p>It was Sasuke's turn to break up an argument.</p>
<p>It didn't take long for them to figure out the rest of the plan, Sakura would be the one to approach Kakashi since she was so 'soft and cute' (a comment from Naruto that Sakura's younger self had outwardly rolled her eyes at by inwardly been <em> very </em>pleased with). Then the other two would watch and help if they needed to. While they seemed to think it was a decent plan, Sakura couldn't help the amusement that threatened to spill from her lips. They really didn't realize how much Kakashi toyed with them when they were kids.</p>
<p>It was under the shade of a tree that they found him, reading his book and seemingly oblivious to the world. It didn't take long for Naruto to have his plan put into action. Before she knew it Sakura was walking towards her sensei with two ice cream cones in hand, trying to look casual and unsuspicious.</p>
<p>"Kakashi-sensei!" She said, looking towards her teacher with an obnoxiously false amount of startlement.</p>
<p>He peered up at his student from the top of his book, "Sakura, what a surprise."</p>
<p>It was not a surprise.</p>
<p>Sakura stared at her teacher through her younger selves eyes. If there was anything from these memories that would never cease to amaze her (besides relieved moments with Sasuke) it was Kakashi's seemingly endless patience for his students. Although, she supposed, to teach people like Naruto or Sasuke, you'd have to be patient.</p>
<p>"It's quite the hot day, isn't it?" Her younger self asked, leaning down as if to see what book he was reading. He quickly shut it.</p>
<p>"Indeed, it is."</p>
<p>"This is a little embarrassing Kakashi-sensei, but it's so hot that I got two ice cream while I was out and I'm afraid I won't be able to finish them both before they melt."</p>
<p>"That is a shame." The twinkle in his eyes was not lost on Sakura.</p>
<p>"It's a good thing I ran into you then," she said as she rocked backwards into her heels, "Would you like the other one?"</p>
<p>She held it out to him, as if challenging him to refuse. He had never been one to refuse a chance to mess with his students. Sakura knew he could sense two partially hidden chakras, only a few steps away. Her teacher stood, making a show of dusting off his pants. Sakura felt a small portion of his chakra flare, but judging from her younger self’s hopeful glee, and the excited buzzing from Naruto's chakra, neither had felt it. Sakura peered from inside her own mind curiously. She wondered what her sensei was up to.</p>
<p>"That's very kind of you, Sakura."</p>
<p>He took her extra ice cream with an added flourish and seemed to make a great show of lifting his hand to his face and beginning to remove his mask. Just as he was inching his mask down his nose, and Sakura was speculating how she had ever forgotten this memory, the tree above him rustled. More than rustled; it <em> shook </em>. At first she thought Naruto and Sasuke had moved to get a closer look and gave themselves away in the process. Then a dog jumped out of the tree. Then another, and another, and another. Until an entire pile of dogs had landed on her sensei.</p>
<p>Her younger self stood in complete shock, and Sakura didn't know whether to be amused or affronted. It wasn't until she spotted a dog that looked suspiciously like Pakkun in a bonnet that she let pure unguarded mirth escape her lips. The dogs were gone almost as quickly as they had come, running down the street in every direction until they were out of sight.</p>
<p>"Well," said Kakashi, dusting himself off, "That was a lovely ice cream Sakura, I think I'll go now that I'm refreshed. See you."</p>
<p>He disappeared in a flash of smoke. A moment later Naruto jumped down from a nearby tree and bounded over to her, Sasuke followed soon after.</p>
<p>"What the hell!?" The blond exclaimed, twisting to look up and down the street as if he would find an answer in one of the directions the dogs had gone. He uttered a distant goodbye before running in a random direction; presumably in pursuit of their Sensei. Sakura was left staring at the tree, her younger self lost in a state of confusion.</p>
<p>"Sakura."</p>
<p>Sasuke made his way into her line of sight. He looked her up and down, as if trying to glean what was wrong with her. She stood frozen with the melting ice cream in hand. Her lips parted, trying vainly to form a coherent sentence. Sakura was feeling the heat again. Cool sweat clung to her skin, and the world swayed in a gentle waltz.</p>
<p>"Sakura." He tried again.</p>
<p>No answer.</p>
<p>"Sakura."</p>
<p>He reached out and grasped her hand, giving it a light squeeze. The world swayed back into focus and she locked eyes with Sasuke. Sakura was genuinely starting to wonder how she had <em> ever </em>forgotten this memory.</p>
<p>"I- what just happened?"</p>
<p>He let go of her hand.</p>
<p>"It seems Naruto's plan wasn't as foolproof as he thought it was."</p>
<p>Sakura smiled. The situation was ridiculous. Somehow she didn't know why she was surprised. She could feel goosebumps rising on her skin as the world began to sway again. She dropped her ice cream. It was mostly liquid now, anyway. No need to hold it. Sasuke’s face appeared in front of her again.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" He asked. She heard his voice as if it played from a worn out record.</p>
<p>"I'm fine, just a little hot-"</p>
<p>Her vision went black. Sakura was left staring into the recesses of her mind. Heat exhaustion, she concluded idly. She remembered getting it when she was a kid. Or she at least remembered the event after getting it. It would explain how she had forgotten this memory so easily. The events leading up to her fainting had been blurry even when they were fresh. She was surprised Sasuke had been the one there to catch her when she fell. Sakura wasn't left to consider her new discovery for long. The all-to-familiar waves were rolling back in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The mist felt heavy as it pressed against her skin. It had been slowly gaining weight as she ran through the thick fog. Naruto's appearance had been a shock, but the news that he had brought with him had been even worse. Sakura could feel the fear and panic in her younger self's heart mixing with her own. It was painful. The fear she had felt in this moment still stung her. Still tormented her waking heart in the early hours of the morning. Out of all the memories she had re-lived, this was one that clung to her like a leech.</p>
<p>She was running blind, desperation making her stumble. Even without the fog, she wouldn't have been able to see where she was going. She could hear Tazuna's running footsteps behind her, but she ignored them the best she could. Everything felt too loud in her ears. Like her brain had been stuffed with cotton. There was a loud buzzing that seemed to float around her head like a siren. She knew it was the fear. The panic.</p>
<p>It was a miracle she had been able to find him. Between her own desperate panic and the visibility of the world around her. She found him, though; he was there, in front of her, lying at her feet.</p>
<p>The fog seemed to drop on her like a deadweight, and she crumpled to the ground beside him.</p>
<p>Sakura knew he would be okay, this was a memory, nothing would change. But that didn't ease the vice like grip against her chest.</p>
<p>She could feel the hurt beating its way through her heart. She had thought she could withstand this once. Losing him. In a way, she already <em> had </em> lost him. But this was different. At least when he had left she had known he was alive. Or she could hope. Hope that he lived. Hope that he thought of her and the life he left behind. Hope that he could still <em> feel </em>. But this memory felt like a declaration. A confirmation of her greatest fear. He would die. The path he walked would lead him there, eventually. Sakura didn't think she'd be able to survive the stillness of his heart beneath her fingertips again. A part of her remembered that wouldn't be a problem.</p>
<p>She tore herself from that train of thought before she spiraled into a place she couldn't return. Instead, she focused her attention on his subtle signs of life. The small flicker of chakra through his system. The slight warmth to his cool skin. The shallow rise of his chest. They were all things her younger self wasn't skilled enough to feel, especially through the hurt. But Sakura held onto it like a lifeline. Even if she knew the outcome of this moment, there was still a part of her that needed the consolation.</p>
<p>Then he shifted, the slightest intake of breath, and suddenly his voice was filling the buzzing static.</p>
<p>"Sakura, you're heavy."</p>
<p>The fog lost its weight, and Sakura was sitting up to stare into the eyes of Sasuke Uchiha. The cotton was gone from her head, and suddenly she could see again. See and feel the world coming into focus. Relief flowed through her and she lost whatever strength had been holding her up. She crashed into him, hugging and crying and laughing. Pure exhilaration made her a fool, but she didn't care. Not in that moment. Because he was <em> alive </em>. His name left her lips like a promised oath, and she held him like her life depended on it.</p>
<p>"Sakura," he grumbled into her hair, "...That hurts."</p>
<p>She loosened her grip just a little bit, but continued in her state of crying-laughing. Sakura smiled despite herself, she knew she had been in hysterics at this moment (Tazuna had teased her for it later), but there was still something heartwarming about her childish innocence. It was then, as her younger self cried into Sasuke's shoulder, that she felt a hand press into the small of her back. It was light, hardly enough to be considered a proper hug, but Sakura was shocked nonetheless. Her younger self didn't notice, lost in a moment of giddiness. Sakura was left to wonder how Tazuna failed to mention <em> that </em>.</p>
<p>The moment was over almost as soon as it began and he was gently pushing her away so he could stand. Sakura was left to look on in bewilderment. How had she missed these things? These moments of her childhood that could have changed so much. Could have led to a different ending for both of them.</p>
<p>She quickly plucked that idea from her mind. She had told him she loved him. She had given him every chance to choose a different path. If he had ever had feelings for her why would he deny those chances? Why would he push her away?</p>
<p>Even as the waves pulled her under once again, Sakura couldn't help the lingering buzzing that flowed through her heart. She tried to stop it, tried to push it all away. Even as she tried, she knew it would be impossible. The hope, the <em> love </em>, was inevitable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sakura knew she was back in the forest of death before she focused on the gnarled trees that surrounded her. The sickly chakra of the curse mark encircled her like the fog of her last memory. When she was young, she had been able to tell it was evil. But now she could feel the malice, the <em> hate </em>, of that extraordinary chakra. It rolled through the clearing with the same brute power that his older self was known for. Sakura could feel it pinching her skin, her eyes, her throat. It lashed around like it was its own separate entity, suffocating her.</p>
<p>“Sakura. Who did this to you?”</p>
<p>His voice didn’t sound like his own. It was chilling and full of icy anger. Sakura shivered as her body turned to face him. Years of experience didn’t make the scene any less terrifying. He never looked human when the curse mark was activated.</p>
<p>“I did it.”</p>
<p>One of the sound ninja had spoken. Sakura wanted to scream at them. Her body was frozen, like both versions of herself had been trapped. Did they not sense the curling hate that laced his chakra? They shouldn’t be provoking him. They should be running. Praying they could escape the pure malice of the chakra focused in their direction. The fight was over almost as soon as it had begun. Sasuke had made quick work of the first sound ninja. Sakura couldn’t shake the image of how much he resembled his older self in that moment.</p>
<p>It was as he stalked towards the other sound ninja that Sakura’s body finally moved. She could feel her younger self’s own confusion and fear at the scene that lay before her. This wasn’t the Sasuke she knew, at least not yet, and every part of her screamed that she needed to save him. Save him from the terrible darkness that he was falling into. Save him from his own hate and pain and anger. Save him from himself.</p>
<p>Sakura wasn’t sure when she’d lost that need to rescue him. She was beginning to wish she hadn’t.</p>
<p>He was moving slowly enough that she caught him without a problem. She hugged with all the strength she had left, her arms circling his torso as if she could stop him from lunging forward. Stop him from falling.</p>
<p>“Sasuke,” she murmured, “Please stop.”</p>
<p>He turned to look at her. His Sharingan blaring through the power of the curse mark. He seemed deadly in that moment, too strong and too unreachable.</p>
<p>Then it was gone.</p>
<p>The curse mark receded, and they were sinking to the ground together.</p>
<p>Sakura didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation. Her mind was too busy turning over the events that had happened. Every event. Every memory. It all felt like too much. Because as she sat there, holding Sasuke in her arms, she felt a fresh surge of hope. A childlike hope that had her giddy with relief. <em> There was a chance </em> . A chance for her to change things and save the boy she loved. Because <em> maybe </em>he loved her too.</p>
<p>Maybe they still had a chance to love each other.</p>
<p>A newfound determination coursed through Sakura's veins. She needed to get out of here. She needed to go back to the present. She needed to stop Sasuke before his rage took him any further. She couldn’t die yet.</p>
<p>A tidal wave of chill washed over her. She could feel the distant pull of chakra as she slipped back into the familiar waves. Slow as honey.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sakura gasped awake. Lurching up, she held a hand against her mouth in an attempt to keep the bile from climbing out of her throat. It felt strange being able to move her body again, and her muscles shook sporadically as she moved to stand.</p>
<p>She caught sight of Sasuke almost immediately. He hadn’t moved from the spot he had been in before she fell into those honeyed waves. Whatever they had been.</p>
<p>She stumbled towards him. Using her chakra to knit the rest of her wound together. She supposed she had been healed during those... visions. Her wound was nothing more than a scratch now. There was no point in healing it all the way. She’d have more to do later.</p>
<p>She could still hear someone screaming at her. Telling her to run. She didn't recognize the voice.</p>
<p>She wouldn’t run. Not now. She needed to get to Sasuke. Her eyes stayed locked on him as she staggered forward. Her legs felt like lead and she all but collapsed against his back. His muscles were tensed, poised in the heat of battle. Her arms circled around his torso so she could stop him from lunging forward. Stop him from falling.</p>
<p>“Sasuke-kun,” She whispered loud enough that she knew only he could hear over the sounds of battle raging around them, “Please. Don't do this. It’s over now.”</p>
<p>Whoever was screaming at her had stopped. She could feel the pressure of battling chakras fading around her. People had stopped fighting. She knew they were being watched. She could feel everyone around them waiting with bated breath. Enemy and ally alike.</p>
<p>His muscles relaxed against her. Scarcely noticeable to anyone but herself. She knew there was still so much that needed to be said. So much that needed to be understood between them.</p>
<p>But in that moment, it felt like the promise of forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I hope you enjoyed the one shot, I'm sorry if it seems messy. Some of the scenes are from the manga or anime, some are not. I'm a little on the fence about the flashback with the heat wave. If it seems too out of place with the rest of the story let me know and I'll fix it. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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